Everyday puffed rice cereal gives these easy dark chocolate, peanutty treats some irresistible crunch.

I was inspired to create these homespun little confections as the unholy love-child of the ubiquitous Australian kids’ birthday party treat, chocolate crackles, and Reese’s peanut butter cups. They’re very easy to make, just a few minutes’ simple work with pantry ingredients, and all the action happens in one bowl.

I use a bar of dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids, giving them some grown-up depth, but you can happily substitute milk chocolate if that’s your preference, and it might make them slightly more child-friendly. The crunch comes from puffed rice cereal, and you can use unflavoured Rice Bubbles/Rice Krispies or your local chocolate variety – Coco Pops/Cocoa Krispies – as you like. 

The quantities below will make about 16 if you use mini patty cases (the ones with a 3cm base that fit into a mini muffin tin), or about 24 if you use the very small petit-four cases. If you want to fancy them up as petit fours, set them in the fridge then peel off the paper case, turn them upside down and give them a dusting of cocoa powder before serving.

They can be stored happily in the fridge for up to two weeks. If you can keep them for two weeks I applaud your cast-iron willpower.

Crunchy chocolate peanut butter cups

Makes 16.

15g (1 tablespoon) butter
100g (3½ oz) dark chocolate
175g (⅔ cup) smooth peanut butter
¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
60g (½ cup) icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
45g (1 cup) puffed rice cereal

Melt the butter and chocolate together, using either a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, double-boiler style, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts (non-metal bowl, obvs), stirring between each burst until melted together.

Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and salt.

Mix in the icing sugar and puffed rice until everything is well combined.

Arrange paper patty cases on a baking tray (it makes them easier to handle) and use a teaspoon to fill with the mixture. Transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.